TOPIC #3: OUR LIVING GOD

By His very nature, God is a Being Who cannot be described by human words. If God could be defined, He would be limited, and would not be God. We can no more define God than we can answer the question, "Where did God come from?" Some people are distressed to find that the Bible nowhere offers "proofs" of the existence of God. Instead we see the Bible assuming that God, being active and powerful in human affairs, reveals Himself as He wills.

God revealed His name to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as "I AM WHO I AM " or simply "I AM" (see John 8:58, where Jesus said "before Abraham was, I AM", and they accused Him of taking God's name upon Himself, or blasphemy). The common Hebrew name for God is YHWH, with the vowels added when pronouncing the consonants. However, since the Jews never pronounced God's name for fear of taking His name in vain, we do not know how it should sound. The King James Version translated it "Jehovah ", while some other Bibles make it "Yahweh".

The Westminster Confession of Faith says this of God: "There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body parts or passions, immutable (unchangeable), immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute..."

If there is but one such God, who are the gods worshipped by all the other religions of the world? We do not believe that they are other names for the one true God. The Bible tells us clearly that they are not God at all (read Jeremiah 2:11 and 5:7), but rather evil supernatural beings under the leadership of Lucifer (Satan) whose sinful desire is to be exalted above God Himself and to receive the worship of men (read Isaiah 14:12-15 and Matthew 4:8-9). We must beware believing that everything supernatural is automatically of God.

A. GOD IS TRIUNE -- THREE IN ONE

Basic to Christian theology is the doctrine that "in the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost" (Westminster Confession). The various cults, eager to attack Christianity, point out that the idea of three gods in one one god is logically impossible, and that the word trinity is not found in the Bible. However, all that the Bible does say, points clearly to the fact that there is but one God, and that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons in the Godhead. We know from the beginning that it is impossible to get our limited human minds around an unlimited God, so how three persons can be one God must remain a mystery.

The word "person" is derived from the Latin words "per" and "sonare", together meaning "to speak or sound through". Thus a "persona" was the mask through which ancient actors spoke as they portrayed characters in plays. The word "person" refers to the medium which reveals personality, and so, the personality of God is revealed to us in three distinct ways, through the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The illustration of one man being father, son and husband at once, is close, but confuses the distinction of the three persons. Other earthly comparisons make each of the three persons just part of God (like three parts to a clover leaf), and we must not divide the unity of God. Colossians 2:9 tells us that "in Him (Jesus Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily". Compare Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 22:13. The context of each verse shows that God Almighty first says what Jesus Christ says later, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End". There can be only one first and one last. Therefore Jesus is God. Then compare Acts 5:3 and Acts 5:4. First, Peter says they lied to the Holy Spirit, and then he says they lied to God. Therefore the Holy Spirit is God. The truth of the Trinity stands, though our human explanations are doomed to fall far short of the reality of God.

B. GOD THE FATHER

The Apostle's Creed begins with the words, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth." We believe that God the Father is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The opening verses of the Bible tell us, "Then God said, Let there be...", and Hebrews 11:3 tells "that the worlds were framed by the word of God." John 1:2-3 identifies the Word of God as Jesus Christ, the Son, and Hebrews 1:2 completes the circle by speaking of "His Son.... through whom also He made the worlds." So, God the Father created the world by Jesus the Son, "and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). All three persons of the Trinity were present at creation, but God the Father is the Creator.

C. GOD THE SON

The person of Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity, is the focal point of the Christian faith. We believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (not created; read John 1: 14, 18); the mediator (or go-between) between God and man; the Head of the Church and its Saviour; and the Judge of all the earth. We believe that Jesus existed as God throughout eternal ages but took upon Himself man's nature, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary (see the Apostle's Creed). Because His Father was God, Jesus had no sin.

The relationship between the human and divine natures of Jesus has been the subject of controversy and heresy (wrong theology) for centuries. We believe that "two whole, perfect, and distinctive natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without... confusion" (Westminster Confession, Chapter 8). How one person can have two natures is hard for many to accept. Some have wrongly believed that Jesus was just a man, calling Him a good teacher or a great prophet. Others have wrongly believed that He was really God and only assumed the form of a man. Still others wrongly believe that all men are sons of God. Cults can be most easily identified in the ways that they rob Jesus of His uniqueness, His divinity, or His humanity. The mystery of the Incarnation of Christ (His coming in flesh), is made plain by John 1:1,3 and 14, which show that the Word through whom God made all things, "was God" and "became flesh and dwelt among us". We have already seen in Colossians 2:9 that "in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily".

Jesus consistently made categorical and exclusive claims for Himself. He said, "I am the light of the world", "I am the bread of life", "I am the resurrection and the life", and "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". The truth of these claims was proven when He was raised from death at Easter, by the power of God. Jesus is the only One to be raised in this way, and He is still living today.

Because Jesus offered His life to pay the legal ransom price to set us free from the sting of sin which is death, Jesus is the Saviour. However, just believing that that is the truth is not what saves us. John 1:12 tells us that "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God". The gift of eternal life does not become our property until we receive Jesus as Saviour.

Jesus is not only Saviour, He is also Lord, the one who deserves total, moment-by-moment obedience in all things. Philippians 2:10-11 tells us that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father". One of the earliest Christian confessions of faith was simply "Jesus is Lord". By this was meant, "I believe that Jesus is God; the One to Whom I yield my total allegiance and obedience."

D. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost) is the third person of the Trinity. Being a person, the Holy Spirit should never be referred to as "it" but rather as "He". When we ask Jesus to come and live in our heart, it is the Holy Spirit who comes in. Galatians 4:6 says, "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts". The way we experience the personality and power of God, both Father and Son, is through the person of the Holy Spirit, Who can dwell within us (see John 14:17 and Colossians 1:27), if we ask Him, according to Luke 11:13.

One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is to produce the personality of Christ within us, so that we become like Jesus. He fulfills this function by giving us discernment to recognize which thoughts, motivations and ideas will build up Christ in us, and which will destroy His image in us. As Christians, we live between two opposite forces. Eternal life may be thought of as an invisible force radiating from God, which offers us life choices that will develop our potential. Eternal death is the opposing force radiating from Satan, offering us choices that will destroy us. We can choose to obey Satan's temptations to destruction, or the Holy Spirit's promptings for our upbuilding. When we say "yes" to the Holy Spirit's promptings, we surrender to Him and He reigns in us, bringing eternal life, and causing us to become like Jesus (the process of Christian growth). Jesus is holy, so when His Spirit rules within us, we become holy (the process of sanctification, from the Latin root "sanctus", holy. Consciously letting the Holy Spirit reign in our heart on a moment-by-moment basis is called "walking in the Spirit", and is commanded by God in Galatians 5:16 and 25. Obedience to the Spirit is the key to becoming a disciple of Christ.

However, when we say "yes" to Satan's temptations, we are saying "no" to the Spirit's promptings, and we are opening our hearts to the destruction of eternal death. This can happen without our realizing it, even if we think we're enjoying eternal life. When we disobey God, or say "no" to His Spirit, even in something seemingly small, we push the Spirit off the throne of our life, down and out of the way, though He does not leave us. This is called "quenching the Spirit" in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. When the Spirit convicts us, and shows us that we have sinned and quenched the Spirit, it is important that we immediately confess that sin and put Jesus' Spirit back on the throne. This is a appropriate prayer to pray:

"Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me this sin of ________. I now confess it before You. Thank You for forgiving me. I ask You now, once again, to take the throne of my life. Fill me, control me, and empower me with Your Holy Spirit. Continue to make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen."

While we walk in the Spirit, He will produce His fruit in our life: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). If we are not walking in the Spirit, we will not produce this fruit. We may attempt to produce this fruit in our own power, but we will only produce counterfeits that are obvious to everyone but ourselves.

In addition, when we obey Him, the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13), and makes plain the deep things of God (e.g. the meaning of Scripture) (Corinthians 2:10-12). He gives us guidance and leads us (Romans 8:14). He shows us conclusively that we have become sons of God (Romans 8:16). He includes us in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). He gives us life (2 Corinthians 3:6) and God's inner power (Ephesians 3:16). And He makes it easy for us to witness publicly to our faith in Jesus (Corinthians 12:3).

One may do further research on the gifts of the Spirit by comparing the four categories of 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, with the four lists in Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, and 1 Corinthians 12:7-10.

TOPIC 4. THE CHURCH